1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, receiving apparatus, receiving method, distribution medium and transmitting system and particularly to a transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, receiving apparatus, receiving method, distribution medium and transmitting system for transmitting, with infrared ray, the signals supplied in channels required from the receiving side or suitable for the receiving side.
2. Description of the Related Art
On the occasion of transmitting a signal for displaying voice signal and related characters transmitted, for example, from a conventional conference system, language learning (LL) system or guidance system, for example, to an acoustic device such as earphone and head phone or display device, it is generally required to connect these devices with a physical transmission line such as a cable. However, for the conference system to be used for the conference in which many attendants take part, wirings as many as the number of attendants are required. Moreover, even in the case of the LL system used by many users, a large amount of wirings are required and moreover exclusive conference rooms and learning rooms are required and when the conference system or LL system is once installed, it cannot be moved easily.
Moreover, in the case of the guidance system for repeatedly reproducing one voice source in the endless mode via a headphone, etc., action of the relevant user is restricted by the winding. Moreover, in such guidance system which requires wirings also requires the space wider than the predetermined space at the system installation area. Simultaneously, here lies such various restrictions that number of users for simultaneous use is restricted by the length of wiring and large influence is applied to the external appearance. On the other hand, in the case of the guidance system utilizing a PA (Public Address) apparatus using a speaker, the number of channels of voice information reproduced is restricted by interference of audio sound produced from the speaker and if a channel can be selected, such a physical restriction that the distance longer than the predetermined one is requires has to generally considered. Therefore, a user cannot always hear the explanation from the beginning or from the desired part anytime he wants. If he has heard from the intermediate part of explanation, the time to return to the beginning after explanation is once completed is required.
Here, the wiring for sending, to the signal supplying side, the selecting signal to select the channel for transmitting the information which a user desires is also required in addition to the wiring to send the signal to the acoustic device or display device in the user side.
As explained above, the conference system, language learning system or guidance system of the related art have the problems that these system require the wirings as much as the number of users and the system itself becomes expensive and also requires much labors for installation and alteration and moreover actions of users are restricted.
The present invention has been proposed considering such background and it is therefore an object of the present invention to transmit the signals supplied in a plurality of channels required by the receiving side or suitable for the receiving side without any restriction of wiring.
According to the present invention, the transmitting apparatus is characterized in comprising a supplying means for supplying signal, an outputting means for outputting infrared ray based on the signal supplied from the supplying means and a light receiving means for receiving the infrared ray output from the receiving apparatus.
The transmitting method of the present invention is characterized in comprising a supplying step for supplying signal, an outputting step for outputting the infrared ray based on the signal supplied by the supplying step, a light receiving step for receiving the infrared ray output from the receiving apparatus and a demodulating step for demodulating the signal output from the light receiving step.
A distribution medium of the present invention is characterized by having recorded a computer-readable program for executing the processes including the supplying step for supplying signal, the outputting step for outputting the infrared ray based on the signal supplied by the supplying step, the light receiving step for receiving infrared ray output by the receiving apparatus and the demodulating step for demodulating the signal output by the light receiving step.
The receiving apparatus of the present invention is characterized in comprising the light receiving means for receiving the infrared ray, the demodulating means for demodulating a signal output from the light receiving means, a selecting means for selecting a signal output from the demodulating means and an infrared ray outputting means for outputting a signal with the infrared ray to the transmitting apparatus.
The receiving method of the present invention is characterized in comprising the light receiving step for receiving the infrared ray, the demodulating step for demodulating a signal output from the light receiving step, a selecting step for selecting a signal output from the demodulating step and an infrared ray outputting step for outputting a signal with the infrared ray to the transmitting apparatus responding to the signal output from the demodulating step.
The distribution medium of the present invention is characterized in recording a computer-readable program for executing the processes including the light receiving step for receiving the infrared ray, the demodulating step for demodulating a signal output from the light receiving step, the selecting step for selecting a signal output from the demodulating step and the infrared ray outputting step for outputting a signal with the infrared ray to the transmitting apparatus responding to a signal output from the demodulating step.
The transmitting system of the present invention is characterized in that the transmitting apparatus comprises a supplying means for supplying signals of a plurality of channels, a first output means for outputting the infrared ray based on a signal supplied from the supplying means and a first light receiving means for receiving the infrared ray output from the receiving apparatus and the receiving apparatus in turn comprises a second light receiving means for receiving the infrared ray output from the first output means, a demodulating means for demodulating a signal output from the second light receiving means, a selecting means for selecting a signal output from the demodulating means and a second output means for outputting the infrared ray signal to the transmitting apparatus responding to a signal output from the demodulating means.
In the transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, receiving apparatus, receiving method, distribution medium and transmitting system of the present invention, the transmitting side outputs the signal supplied with the infrared ray and receives the infrared ray output from the receiving side. The receiving side outputs a signal with the infrared ray to the transmitting side responding to the signal included in the infrared ray received.